Russian forces have recaptured Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine once occupied in the Kursk region, according to Moscow, threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining chip amid pressure to negotiate an end to the war.
“In the course of the offensive operations, units of the North military group liberated the settlements of Melovoy, Podol and Sudzha,” the Russian defense ministry said Thursday.
Wearing military uniform in video broadcast by Russian state television, Putin told frontline troops that Moscow’s goal is to “completely liberate” Kursk as soon as possible, during his first trip to the western region since Ukraine’s unexpected incursion there last year.
Putin’s carefully choreographed visit appeared designed to boost morale as Russian forces advance on the final remnants of Ukraine’s holdouts inside Russia, a day after peace talks between US and Ukrainian officials resulted in Kyiv accepting a 30-day US-backed ceasefire covering the entire frontline.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the ball is now in Putin’s court as US representatives headed to Russia “right now as we speak,” to discuss the ceasefire proposal.
“We’re going to have to see. It’s up to Russia now,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as he declined to comment on whether he has a meeting scheduled with the Russian leader.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that Putin was “carefully studying” the proposal, as Moscow waits to be briefed by US officials in the coming days.
This is a developing story and will be updated.